Illegal bets, manipulated games, prominent names – the investigations in Turkish football are growing again and again.
In the course of the football betting scandal in Turkey, there have once again been numerous arrests. As the public prosecutor’s office announced on Friday, 14 players and a former official of the traditional club Galatasaray Istanbul are suspected of betting on games and manipulating results. In total, arrest warrants were issued against 29 people, 24 of whom are already in police custody.
Among those arrested, in addition to former Galatasaray president Erden Timur, are also the vice-president of first-division club Eyüpspor, Fatih Kulaksiz, and a representative of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). Six suspects are said to have influenced the outcome of the match between Kasimpasa and Samsunspor on October 26, 2024. The players involved allegedly bet on the victory of their own team’s opponent.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, “suspicious money flows” were found during the review of bank accounts, indicating illegal betting activities. This is the third major raid as part of the ongoing investigations.
The investigations have been ongoing for months and have already had far-reaching consequences: In early November, for example, six referees and the president of Eyüpspor were arrested. The TFF reacted with strict measures. Already in November, around 150 referees were suspended and permanently removed from service due to betting violations. In addition, 25 professionals from the Süper Lig and almost 1000 players from lower leagues received bans.